Glen here…

My man CORDWAINER HAWK really wanted to review TNT’s forthcoming BABYLON 5 telefilm "The River of Souls". So I let him.

Cordwainer comes from a long line of Hawks, including Stringfellow Hawk - who used to fly around a government surveillance & assault chopper named Airwolf; Hudson Hawk - who used to sing (not particularly well) while looting and pillaging priceless pieces of art; Hawk - who used to fly a spaceship which looked like a big bird, with a midget robot who said "beede bedde beede"; and Hawk - a guy who used to help out Spenser, and was clearly the forefather of a 24th Century space station commander.

Also, I had a hawk once. I found it wounded, and it wasn’t gonna make it unless humans helped it out. The wildlife rescue people couldn’t take on the burden, so I did it myself. Hawks eat meat - did you know that? Imagine my…surprise…when I discovered I had to buy live mice, chop them up, then keep the carnage frozen until it was ready to be consumed. Now that I think about it, that was a falcon, not a hawk. Its name was Han. I don’t really know whether or not *hawks* eat meat. Anyway, I’m digressing bigtime here.

Here is Hawk’s review of THE RIVER OF SOULS. This review is a little more spoiler intensive than a review *I* would normally run. None the less, Hawk and I have gone through and unplugged some of the more "telling" elements, and I feel the product below is a fair compromise. This review, by the way, covers some of the same elements I touched on in my previous review of RIVER OF SOULS. This is completely happenstantial. Both reviews were written…literally… separately but simultaneously.

So, this *is* "a genuine case of parallel development" (which, by the way, are close to the exact words Paramount threw back at me when I inquired as to why a particular STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episode so closely resembled a teleplay I had submitted to the series five months earlier).

The well pedigreed CORDWAINER HAWK wrote:

Martin Sheen is God. Okay, he's not God, but he is a Soul Hunter in the B5 TNT movie, "The River of Souls". And he just about steals the whole movie with his exciting, and enthralling performance as one of the most interesting and most fully realized aliens to ever visit B5.

The telemovie set to air on TNT on November 8th, stars Jerry Doyle and Tracy Scoggins (who are billed first and co- equally. By the way, the credits have a nice looking new font.) Also staring are Jeff Conaway, Joshua Cox, Ian McShane, others and of course Martin Sheen.

McShane plays Dr. Bryson a scientist who has received funding from Edgars Industries for a project he calls L.E. - - Life Eternal. He wants to find the mysteries of eternal life, and sell it. He's passionately and obsessively devoted to this goal. The movie opens up with a great teaser showing Bryson and his team digging on an alien world. He finds his way into a huge vault, where there are thousands and thousands of globes --the small orbs that we've seen used by Soul Hunters before. An alarm goes off, and soon Bryson and his team are on the run and under attack. On his way out he sees a larger globe vessel in the vault. (About as big as a bowling ball.) He collects it and escapes with it. And the globe begins to whisper to him.

On Babylon 5, Capt. Lochley talks to Corwin about how nice and quiet it is now that Sheridan and Garibaldi are gone. (This story takes place in June of 2263, so various B5 characters are scattered to the four winds, and Lochley, Corwin, and Zack Allen are the only remaining B5-ers still on B5.) As Lochley talks with joy about how nice it is on B5 these days, Corwin interjects that he was just coming to tell her Garibaldi has arrived. Behind Lochley a fight breaks out. So much for the calm.

Garibaldi is now running Edgars Industries and has arrived from Mars. He and Lochley chat about things in her office, and Garibaldi explains he is checking out Edgar's many black projects and is checking into the work of Dr. Bryson, who has also arrived on B5, along with the Soul globe he took. (A fact that Bryson does not mention to anyone.) Ian McShane is very impressive in the role of Bryson, and the scene between him, Garibaldi and Lochley is quite well done.

A humorous subplot about a holo-brothel in downbelow runs through the story, as Zack and Lochley have to deal with the sleazy owner of the establishment, as well as his attorney.

There is also a funny scene between Lochley and Corwin related to one of Corwin's unusual hobbies.

As Dr. Bryson continues his investigation into the Soul globe, weird things and strange sightings begin to happen around the station.

Shortly there after, a Soul Hunter ship arrives to the station, as Garibaldi, Lochley, and Zack watch it come in.

The drama of film heats up as soon as The Soul Hunter played by Martin Sheen makes his entrance. He explains to them that the Soul Vessel that Bryson took is quite unique and very important to the Soul Hunters.

Bryson, goes on the run, with the orb, and starts making his way through downbelow in an effort to evade the Hunter. The souls are not happy at their imprisonment, and want out and want revenge against their captors.

Sheen's Soul Hunter and Capt. Lochley develop an interesting relationship, as they talk about the big questions, about life, death, souls, and an after life. It's a very intelligent, thoughtful as well as profound discussion that adds to film's overall texture. This film gives you some good things to think about.

After Lochley has an encounter with a representative of the souls, in the form of an image of Dr. Franklin, the movie takes an unexpected twist and complication.

And the plot resolves itself in a artistically beautiful culmination of events.

Sheen's Hunter is a very well written role. He acts through the make up, and says a great deal with his eyes, and gestures, as well as his famous voice. (This is a role that should get him at the very least an Emmy nomination.)

The drama of the story is B5 at its best. Thought provoking and question posing. Plus, this film has an emotional heart running through it. You care about this story and these characters and events.

The humorous sub-plot with the holo-brothel is quite funny and works well. Some of the sexual humor is over the top, but, it still mostly works thought it sometimes drags on longer than maybe it should. But, the way JMS nicely merged the two stories at several junctures and in the resolution worked perfectly.

Plus, this is the best story for Capt. Lochley I've yet seen. She really gets to show her stuff in this story. It's great work by Scoggins who is now full realized in the role. Scoggins does a great job. (And her reaction to a holo- version of herself is just great fun.) Lochley is a great character, and I'm glad that this film really focused on her and her skills as Captain of Babylon 5.

"The River of Souls" has action, humor and drama. "In the Beginning" was a huge epic tv movie, that showed grand events and history. "Thirdspace" was an action film, that for me lacked some of the emotional and intellectual textures that I love in Babylon 5. "The River of Souls" is more like an awesome two part episode. Plus the film is just about totally stand-alone from the arc, so first time viewers of B5 can really enjoy it, while long time viewers can enjoy the nuances of the characters and setting. (The chemistry between Scoggins, Doyle, and Conaway shines in several scenes.)

The script by J. Michael Straczynski show's he's still writing great B5 and SF material. And the direction by Janet Greek is great work, and great technique. The score by Christopher Franke is one of his best. I can't wait for it to be out on CD. (The closing credits music is some funny sounding jazzy music from the holo-brothel, and I wonder if TNT will ruin it with a credit squeeze and voice over?)

In many ways this is the best of the TNT Babylon 5 movies yet. "The River of Souls" has a lot of excitement, drama and amazingly beautiful visual FX to entertain your eyes and mind. And the film has a lot of heart... and soul.

Glen here, again. The falcon made it, by the way...